Spanish- a key to opportunities in Latin America & Europe

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Spanish
4-Years NEP 2020 Compliant UG Program

Learning Spanish opens up a multitude of scholarships, exchange programs, and career opportunities as it is a language that is spoken in more than 20 countries worldwide. Various scholarships are available, such as the Erasmus+ program, which facilitates study in Spanish-speaking countries, and the Spanish Government’s MAEC-AECID Scholarships for master’s degrees and research in Spain and Auxiliaresprogram for teaching English in schools and colleges. Many universities also offer cultural immersion programs through organizations like CIEE, provide students with valuable opportunities to study abroad and gain real-world experience. Many Spanish universities, such as Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and Universidad de Navarra, also offer scholarships specifically for high-achieving international students in engineering and law, respectively. Career-wise, proficiency in Spanish enhances opportunities in education as language teachers, translators, or interpreters, as well as in international relations, where it is beneficial for roles in government and NGOs.

For Indian students proficient in Spanish, Latin America offers a variety of scholarships, exchange programs, and career opportunities that can significantly broaden their academic and professional horizons. Scholarships such as the Alianza del Pacífico Scholarships enable students to study in Pacific Alliance countries (Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru), promoting educational and cultural integration. The MESCyT Scholarships in the Dominican Republic support international students, especially in fields like education, health sciences, and engineering, while PRONABEC Scholarships in Peru offer financial assistance across various levels of study. Mexico’s CONACYT Scholarships offer full funding for engineering studies, while Colombia’s COLFUTURO program provides partial loan-forgiveness funding for law and engineering students who work in Colombia after graduation.The OAS Academic Scholarships (Organization of American States) also allow students from member countries, including India, to pursue undergraduate or graduate programs in Latin American institutions.

Did You Know?

  • Spanish is spoken by 661 million people worldwide. It is the third most spoken language in the world after English and Mandarin.
  • It’s an official, national, or widely spoken language in 44 countries, including the United States.
  • Indian brands such as Bajaj, Hero, Mahindra and Tata have become popular in the Latin American region. Indian motorcycles have become industry leaders, grabbing the largest market share in a few countries.
  • Nearly 200 Spanish companies in India and 40 Indian companies in Spain.

Program Overview

The NEP 2020 seeks to transform education by aligning it with local, national, and international standards, aiming to reduce dropout rates and enhance attendance. Under this policy, students completing one, two, or three years of an undergraduate (UG) program can leverage their acquired skills for employment opportunities. To fulfil NEP objectives, the Board of Studies (BOS) at the School of Liberal Studies, KIIT DU, has crafted a Four-Year Undergraduate Degree Program (FYUP) structure. Specifically, the FYUP Spanish2025 course integrates English studies with a focus on soft skills and vocational training, while offering multiple entry and exit points, allowing students to graduate with a Certificate, Diploma, or Degree. For Spanish Literary Studies, the curriculum spans eight semesters, covering British, American, European, Indian, and New Literatures, with courses in literary studies, skill enhancement, and generic electives designed to boost employability. The syllabus emphasizes subject knowledge, critical thinking, leadership, creativity, and research skills necessary for the competitive 21st-century economy. In the final FYUP year, students focus on research, providing a foundation for pursuing a PhD after one year of master’s studies.

Official language in: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Spain, Uruguay, Venezuela

Minority language in: Andorra

Regional language in: Belize

Widely spoken in: Philippines, United States

Structure of NEP 2020 (as per UGC)

The UG program will consist of the following categories of courses and the minimum credit requirements for 3-year UG and 4-year UG (Honors) or UG (Honors with Research) programmes are given below (FYUP UGC NEP 2020, P. 19-20):

Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Program
Sl.No. BroadCategoryof Course MinimumCredit Requirement
3YearsUG 4YearsUG
1. Major(Core) 60 80
2. MinorStream(Core Course) 24 32
3. Multidisciplinary 09 09
4. AbilityEnhancementCourses(AEC 08 08
5. SkillEnhancementCourses(SEC) 09 09
6. ValueAddedCoursescommonforall UG (VAC) 06-08 06-08
7. SummerInternship(SI) 02-04 02-04
8. *ResearchProject/Dissertation (R&D) 12
9. Total 120 160

Table1: Minimum Credit Requirements to Award Degree under Each Category

*Note: Honor students not undertaking research will do 3 courses for 12 credits in lieu of a research project / Dissertation.

DEFINITIONS OF COURSE CATEGORIES UNDER AS PER NEP 2020

Major: The major discipline is the primary focus of study, and the degree will be conferred in that specific discipline. Students are required to attain the designated number of credits by completing core courses within the major discipline.
Minor: Minor Courses enable students to develop a more comprehensive understanding beyond their major discipline.
CBCS: The Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) permits students to select courses from a variety of options and earn credits upon successful completion of those courses. This system is structured to offer flexibility, allowing students to pursue their interests and leverage their strengths.
Credit: A course credit refers to the weightage that a course carries of an educational course, frequently employed to assess if the criteria for an academic award have been fulfilled.
L-T-P: This refers to the distribution of credits: Lecture (L), Tutorial (T) and Practical (P).
SkillEnhancementCourses:Coursesaimedatfosteringpracticalskills, hands-on training, soft skills that aim to increase the employability of the students.
Ability Enhancement Courses: These courses are designed to empower students in gaining and showcasing fundamental linguistic abilities, such as critical reading, expository writing, and academic writing skills. These skills assist students in expressing their arguments and communicating their thoughts with clarity.
Multidisciplinary Courses: Courses students can choose from different disciplines to enhance their intellectual experience and broaden theirknowledge.
Value Added Courses: Value Added Courses impart students with valuable knowledge and skills that complement their core studies.
Internship/ Vocational Courses/ Projects: These immersive learning experiencesofferstudentstheopportunitytoapplytheiracademicknowledge and skills in practical fields.

AWARDING UG CERTIFICATE, UG DIPLOMA, AND DEGREES UG CERTIFICATE

Students who opt to exit after completion of the first year and have secured 40 credits will be awarded a UG certificate if, in addition, they complete one vocational course of 4 credits during the summer vacation of the first year. These students are allowed to re-enter the degree program within three years and complete the degree program within the stipulatedmaximum period of seven years.

UG DIPLOMA
Students who opt to exit after completion of the second year and have secured80 credits will be awarded the UG diploma if, in addition, they complete one vocational course of 4 credits during the summer vacation of the second year. These students are allowed to re-enter (Placeholder1) within a period of three years and complete the degree program within the maximum period of seven years.

3-YEAR UG DEGREE
Students who wish to undergo a 3-year UG program will be awarded UG Degree in the Major discipline after successful completion of three years, securing 120 credits and satisfying the minimum credit requirement as given in table 1 (Section 5).

4-YEAR UG DEGREE (HONOURS)
A four-year UG Honors degree in the major discipline will be awarded to those who completeafour-year degreeprogram with160 creditsandhave satisfied the credit requirements as given in table 1 (Section 5).

4-YEAR UG DEGREE (HONOURS WITH RESEARCH)
Studentswho secure 75% marks and abovein thefirst six semestersand wish to undertake research at the undergraduate level can choose a research stream in the fourth year. They should do a research project or dissertation under the guidance of a faculty member of the University/College. The research project/dissertationwill be inthemajor discipline. The studentswho secure 160 credits, including 12 credits from a research project/dissertation, are awarded UG Degree (Honors with Research).

UG DEGREE PROGRAMMES WITH SINGLE MAJOR
A student has to secure a minimum of 50% credits from the major discipline for the3-year/4-yearUGdegreetobeawardedasinglemajor.Forexample,ina
3-year UG program, if the total number of credits to be earned is 120, a student of Spanish with a minimum of 60 credits will be awarded a B. A. inSpanish with a single major. Similarly, in a 4-year UG program, if the total numberofcredits to beearned is 160, a student of Spanishwitha minimumof 80 credits will be awarded a B. A. (Hons./ Hon. with Research) in Spanishin a 4-year UG program with single major.

EVALUATIONSCHEME(asfollowedin KIITacrossalldegreeprograms) 

The performance of the student will be assessed throughout the semester. Evaluation is based on Internal Assessment, Continuous Internal Assessments (CIA) and End-Semester Examination.

  1. InternalEvaluation:50marks
    • ContinuousInternalAssessment(CIA):30marks
    • MidSemesterExamination:20marks
  1. End-SemesterExamination:50marks